April9, 2012
Dear Family,
So much water has passed under the bridge (literally andfiguratively) this past week it is hard to know where to begin. Wegot our internet connection today and can finally write. We took 4 1/2days to drive here. We especially enjoyed going to Adam-Ondi-Ahmanwhere we listened to President Uchtdorts talk in that beautiful peaceful andquiet setting. Only one other car was there with us. The next daywe stopped in Paducah, KY where I went in Hancock Fabric (the biggest fabricstore I have every been in) and the National Quilt Museum. We noticeddifferent road kill once we got further East- (don't read this if youare queesy)- a baby pig, fox, turkey, possum and raccoon.
We did see many deer and antelope at play in Wyoming.
Continuing our several month breakdown-a-week tradition- the water heaterwasn't working when we got here so we bathed in cold water for a day beforethey replaced it with a new one and today the dishwasher stopped working.We have a nice apartment on ground level on the west end of town. We havea large kitchen, medium sized bedroom with a 1/4 size bathroom (the sink andtoilet are kids size), another bedroom which we use as a workroom, a normalbathroom with shower and a good sized living room. We have plenty of storagespace. The apartment had some furniture in it but that is all so themission president asked us to furnish it since part of our mission fee pays forthat. So.......we have been shopping, shopping, shopping thisweek. Never spent so much money all at once onfurnishings. Our place is actually not in thecity limits. Our neighbors above us got a new litter of 4 kittenslast night from one of the wild cats roaming the neighborhood.
Our address is
Elder David and Sister Carol Johnson
117 Cordell Dr.
Jacksonville, NC 28540
We got here Tuesday night, met the bishops of the two wards weserve, had district meeting the next day, went to the sister's mission dayat the Raleigh temple on Friday where we met the mission presidentand wife. We are going to get a new mission president in July- differentthan the one we met at the MTC.
Sunday we left home at 7:30 a.m. to pick up marines at two different camps totake them to church. The plan was to drop me off at the church so therewould be more room in the car but the church was not opened so wewent to plane B. One marine was a 6'6" returned missionary fromWyoming so he was crunched to fit in the back of the Prius with two other youngmen. We attended two wards, met a lot of members, then went to CampGeiger to learn how to conduct services there with Chaplain Vance (a churchmember) at a base chapel. We will be in charge of this meeting everySunday in the future. I led the singing and Papa and I boreour testimonies. Captain Vance gave a short talk after the marinesblessed and passed the sacrament. There were three LDS marines and onenon member investigator there. The Chaplain then taught a RS/Priesthoodshortened lesson and it all ended in an hour. It was hard to hear becauseof other services being held in the main chapel in the same older buildingbut the spirit was strong. We were touched by the marines eagerness topartake of the sacrament on Easter and the investigators willingness to betaught. One marine had ridden in a base bus for 1 1/2 hours to get thereand we took him home later and it took us 1 1/2 hours to drive him to thefar end of Camp Legeune but he said it was worth it. Chaplain Vanceinvited us to his neighborhood west of here for Easter Dinner so wetook the marine and went. There was the chaplain, his wife, daughterand husband, another couple and a mother and her three daughters whosehusband was deployed overseas there for dinner.
Jacksonville is quite a bit larger than Logan and is spread out between aninlet and the New River. So there are a lot of bridges over waterand no streets that go straight for very long. We would be lostwithout our GPS on our phone. I have been turned around 45 degrees everysince we got here and don't know if I can get reoriented ever. I do know ourapartment faces east because the sun sets behind us. There is abarbershop on every block (marines have to get a haircut every week) and atatoo parlor on every other block plus lots of eating places and cardealerships and other businesses that cater to marines. We see a lot moretobacco stores because we are near where they grow it. Local strawberriesare on and the azaleas are in full bloom and they put flowers onevery grave in the cemeteries for Easter.
It has been beautiful weather our whole time traveling and since we gothere except for one morning of rain. Gone are the coats.
Well that is enough for now. I need to retire for the night. Love,Mom, Carol
Dear Family,
So much water has passed under the bridge (literally andfiguratively) this past week it is hard to know where to begin. Wegot our internet connection today and can finally write. We took 4 1/2days to drive here. We especially enjoyed going to Adam-Ondi-Ahmanwhere we listened to President Uchtdorts talk in that beautiful peaceful andquiet setting. Only one other car was there with us. The next daywe stopped in Paducah, KY where I went in Hancock Fabric (the biggest fabricstore I have every been in) and the National Quilt Museum. We noticeddifferent road kill once we got further East- (don't read this if youare queesy)- a baby pig, fox, turkey, possum and raccoon.
We did see many deer and antelope at play in Wyoming.
Continuing our several month breakdown-a-week tradition- the water heaterwasn't working when we got here so we bathed in cold water for a day beforethey replaced it with a new one and today the dishwasher stopped working.We have a nice apartment on ground level on the west end of town. We havea large kitchen, medium sized bedroom with a 1/4 size bathroom (the sink andtoilet are kids size), another bedroom which we use as a workroom, a normalbathroom with shower and a good sized living room. We have plenty of storagespace. The apartment had some furniture in it but that is all so themission president asked us to furnish it since part of our mission fee pays forthat. So.......we have been shopping, shopping, shopping thisweek. Never spent so much money all at once onfurnishings. Our place is actually not in thecity limits. Our neighbors above us got a new litter of 4 kittenslast night from one of the wild cats roaming the neighborhood.
Our address is
Elder David and Sister Carol Johnson
117 Cordell Dr.
Jacksonville, NC 28540
We got here Tuesday night, met the bishops of the two wards weserve, had district meeting the next day, went to the sister's mission dayat the Raleigh temple on Friday where we met the mission presidentand wife. We are going to get a new mission president in July- differentthan the one we met at the MTC.
Sunday we left home at 7:30 a.m. to pick up marines at two different camps totake them to church. The plan was to drop me off at the church so therewould be more room in the car but the church was not opened so wewent to plane B. One marine was a 6'6" returned missionary fromWyoming so he was crunched to fit in the back of the Prius with two other youngmen. We attended two wards, met a lot of members, then went to CampGeiger to learn how to conduct services there with Chaplain Vance (a churchmember) at a base chapel. We will be in charge of this meeting everySunday in the future. I led the singing and Papa and I boreour testimonies. Captain Vance gave a short talk after the marinesblessed and passed the sacrament. There were three LDS marines and onenon member investigator there. The Chaplain then taught a RS/Priesthoodshortened lesson and it all ended in an hour. It was hard to hear becauseof other services being held in the main chapel in the same older buildingbut the spirit was strong. We were touched by the marines eagerness topartake of the sacrament on Easter and the investigators willingness to betaught. One marine had ridden in a base bus for 1 1/2 hours to get thereand we took him home later and it took us 1 1/2 hours to drive him to thefar end of Camp Legeune but he said it was worth it. Chaplain Vanceinvited us to his neighborhood west of here for Easter Dinner so wetook the marine and went. There was the chaplain, his wife, daughterand husband, another couple and a mother and her three daughters whosehusband was deployed overseas there for dinner.
Jacksonville is quite a bit larger than Logan and is spread out between aninlet and the New River. So there are a lot of bridges over waterand no streets that go straight for very long. We would be lostwithout our GPS on our phone. I have been turned around 45 degrees everysince we got here and don't know if I can get reoriented ever. I do know ourapartment faces east because the sun sets behind us. There is abarbershop on every block (marines have to get a haircut every week) and atatoo parlor on every other block plus lots of eating places and cardealerships and other businesses that cater to marines. We see a lot moretobacco stores because we are near where they grow it. Local strawberriesare on and the azaleas are in full bloom and they put flowers onevery grave in the cemeteries for Easter.
It has been beautiful weather our whole time traveling and since we gothere except for one morning of rain. Gone are the coats.
Well that is enough for now. I need to retire for the night. Love,Mom, Carol
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